A Humble Life: A Suspicious Death - 83 Years LaterIn Part 1, I introduced you to the Miller family of Aleppo, PA. John and Lena Miller, hard-working parents to several growing children, were living on their family farm in the early 1900s. They had their faith, their family, and their farm. They found out, though, that nothing could shield them from that which comes for us all. The devout and the deviant, the ambitious and the apathetic, the wealthy and the working class; Death sees only the fire of life, tucked away behind each beating heart, that it will, inevitably, snuff out. After suffering the loss of her oldest son, Jacob, followed by the loss of her husband, John, Lena gives birth to her ninth child. A widow, a farmer, a single mother to eight living children; where will life take her next? 1910-1929 Emsworth & West View, Allegheny County, PA - All Grown Up![]() The family stayed on the farm in Aleppo after John's death, though Lena was unsure about the next stage of their lives. Should she remarry after a respectable period of time? Should she remain Mrs. John Miller, widow until her own death? She worked hard, she prayed, she raised her children. While Lena's attention was focused on the added responsibility, Death let itself in once more. A son extinguished in his youth, a beloved husband and father stolen from his family...what more could the ancient thief pilfer from the Millers? Harry was 13 in February 1911, though he was likely smaller than most boys his age. When he began complaining of chest pain, fatigue and frequent coughing fits, Lena took no chances. Dr. Croft visited the farm to examine young Harry. When he placed the cold metal bell of his stethoscope on Harry's chest, Lena's concerns were validated. Dr. Croft explained Harry's heart murmur, the severity of his condition, and his recommendations. Harry was too weak to do most of his chores, too tired to get out and play with his siblings. His young heart was struggling to function, and Lena was helpless to save him. Death crouched at Harry's bedside for four months. On June 24, 1911, at 1 am, Harry Joseph Miller was reunited with his big brother and father. How much grief could one family take? Gertie married William O. Finnegan in 1916 when she was 22 and he was 27. They moved to Ohio and had their first child in 1918, naming her after her maternal grandmother: Mary Magdalena Finnegan. When Albert, 27, married Philomena "Minnie" Snyder, 22, in 1919, an opportunity presented itself to Lena. She could help her son and daughter-in-law by letting them live on and run the family farm, and she could move to a nearby township with the younger children. A change of scenery might be good for everyone, she thought. A newly built home in Emsworth drew Lena's attention. The 3-bedroom, 1-bathroom, 1,650 sq ft home was perfect for Lena and her growing children. Little did she know, the house would stay in the family from 1920 through present day. One hundred and three years. Emsworth had its own school, prior to being incorporated into the Avonworth School District in 1938 (along with Ben Avon, Ben Avon Heights, and Kilbuck Townships). When they moved into the home, Lena was 58, Stella was 23, William was 20, Little Mary was 17, Ella was 14, and John Jr. was 11. ![]() Stella was the next Miller child to leave the nest, marrying in September 1921. She met Walter William O'Neill, a local who was recently discharged from the Army after nearly two years overseas. Walter was tall and lean, though muscular from working as a steamfitter, with dark hair and blue eyes. Walter lived with his aunt, Catherine, and cousin, Elizabeth, right around the corner from the Millers. After he was discharged from the Army, he returned to Emsworth and looked for work as a steamfitter, following in his father's footsteps. Around this time, a brand-new car sold for around $1,000 in Pittsburgh. Refrigerators, bulky wooden upright chests with enamel-lined compartments, sold for about $25. On any given Sunday afternoon, Stella could open the newspaper and browse the full-page ads for fashionable ladies' clothing, new furniture or popular "miracle medicines" from the drug store. A tonic elixir of iron, quinine, and strychnine? A bleaching cream to achieve a ghostly complexion? A girdle to hide that unsightly proportionate, healthy body? Get it all in one trip! Hop on the street car and perfect yourself in no time. The newlyweds were still in their 'honeymoon phase' when Stella got pregnant in late 1921. Their first child, William Walter O'Neill, would be born on August 8, 1922. Just as Stella got settled into the rhythm of motherhood, as well as one can, she was pregnant again. Dorothy Retta was born in 1924, then Madeline came along in 1926. The O'Neills had moved into a small rowhouse on Eastchester St, close to Pittsburgh, where Walter was working as a laborer. Stella could take the children on a streetcar to visit her mother and siblings, but the trip with three small children would have likely been stressful. By early 1928, Stella was pregnant with their fourth, and last, child. Her mother, Lena, had been experiencing various health issues for a few years, primarily high blood pressure and degenerative heart disease. One balmy spring morning, Emsworth awoke, blossoming like a morning glory, but one house stood still. Mary Magdalena "Lena" Auen-Miller had passed in her sleep, reunited with John, her parents, her sons. Lena was 64, felled by blood pressure and heart disease. The Miller children were, once again, grieving the loss of a parent. Death was not yet satisfied; its voracious, archaic appetite never sated. It is never a question of "if", only "who?" and "when?" Only time would tell. ![]() In the wake of Lena's passing, 26-year-old Mary married 24-year-old Jack Stritzinger Jr, an order clerk for a construction company, moving to another home in Emsworth and having a daughter, Ruth, in 1929. Ella also married, though she and her husband would remain in the family home in Emsworth. Her husband, Earl J. Kuder, was working in an oil refinery as an account clerk. In 1929, William married Helen Stritzinger, the sister of Mary's husband Jack. The Miller and Stritzinger families were connected through two marriages, but a third marriage was in the future. John would marry the youngest Stritzinger sibling, Evelyn, in 1940. November 28, 1928, was rainy with nearly freezing temperatures, but the gloomy weather couldn't overshadow the joy of a new baby. The O'Neills welcomed Robert Edward, their fourth and last child, whom they called "Bobby". William, 6, was becoming more independent, making friends. and exploring his surroundings. A new baby brother was a good thing, but not as interesting as a caught frog or stick-turned-sword. 4-year-old Dorothy couldn't wait for her living doll; she could dote on him and care for him, beginning her lessons for future motherhood. Madeline, only 2, was torn between excitement and resentment. The new baby had the potential to be fun, but he also got a lot of attention from her mother. Stella was 32, a mother of four young children, and the Great Depression was rapidly approaching. The psychological stress fractures would only grow. In Part 3, we follow Stella from 1929 to 1939. The Great Depression ambushes many Americans, leaving many without jobs, food, and/or housing. The Miller children have to navigate life without Lena in one of the most difficult periods of their lifetime. How will Stella, wife and mother of four young children, handle the hardship to come?
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EmilyTrue crime, cold case, long-term missing/unidentified, and all things mystery. I've always been interested, but now I'm involved in the search. Archives
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Photos used under Creative Commons from Jinx!, Damian Gadal